Image sensor, image processing apparatus, and image processing method

Abstract

An image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels provided in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, and a signal processor configured to process first image data generated by the pixel array to generate a plurality of pieces of first full color image data, wherein the signal processor is further configured to split the first image data into a plurality of pieces of phase data, remosaic-process each of the plurality of pieces of phase data to generate a plurality of pieces of color phase data, merge the plurality of pieces of color phase data corresponding to a same color, respectively, to generate a plurality of pieces of preliminary color data, and compensate for the plurality of pieces of preliminary color data to generate the plurality of pieces of first full color image data.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image sensor comprising:
 a pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns; and 
 a signal processor configured to process first image data generated by the pixel array to generate a plurality of pieces of first full color image data, 
 wherein the signal processor is further configured to:
 split the first image data into a plurality of pieces of phase data; 
 remosaic-process each of the plurality of pieces of phase data to generate a plurality of pieces of color phase data; 
 merge the plurality of pieces of color phase data corresponding to a same color, respectively, to generate a plurality of pieces of preliminary color data; and 
 compensate for the plurality of pieces of preliminary color data to generate the plurality of pieces of first full color image data, and 
 
 wherein the signal processor is further configured to generate the plurality of pieces of first full color image data by:
 splitting each of the plurality of pieces of preliminary color data into a smooth image and a detail image; 
 removing an error from the detail image; and 
 adding the smooth image to the detail image from which the error is removed. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The image sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the pixel array comprises a plurality of pixel groups, each of the plurality of pixel groups comprising 16 pixels arranged in four adjacent rows and four adjacent columns and a corresponding color filter, and
 wherein the first image data output from the pixel array has a hexadeca pattern. 
 
     
     
       3. The image sensor of  claim 2 , wherein the signal processor is further configured to sample the first image data as first through second phase data of a tetra pattern to split the first image data into the plurality of pieces of phase data. 
     
     
       4. The image sensor of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of pixel groups comprises a plurality of micro lenses respectively provided on each of four pixels among pixels included in each of the plurality of pixel groups. 
     
     
       5. The image sensor of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of pixel groups comprises one micro lens. 
     
     
       6. The image sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the signal processor is further configured to process second image data generated by the pixel array to generate a plurality of pieces of second full color data, and
 wherein the first image data has a (2n)×(2n) matrix pattern, and the second image data has an (n)×(n) matrix pattern, where n is a natural number. 
 
     
     
       7. The image sensor of  claim 6 , wherein the signal processor is further configured to demosaic-process third image data generated by the pixel array to generate a plurality of pieces of third full color image data, and
 wherein the third image data has an (n/2)×(n/2) matrix pattern. 
 
     
     
       8. The image sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the pixel array is provided on a first chip, and the signal processor is provided on a second chip on which the first chip is provided. 
     
     
       9. An image processing apparatus comprising a signal processor configured to process first image data of a (2n)×(2n) matrix pattern output from an image sensor, where n is a natural number,
 wherein the signal processor is configured to:
 split the first image data into a plurality of pieces of phase data; 
 remosaic-process each of the plurality of pieces of phase data to generate a plurality of pieces of color phase data; 
 merge the plurality of pieces of color phase data corresponding to a same color, respectively, to generate a plurality of pieces of preliminary color data; and 
 compensate for the plurality of pieces of preliminary color data to generate a plurality of pieces of first full color image data, and 
 
 wherein the signal processor is further configured to generate the plurality of pieces of first full color image data by:
 generating smooth images from each of the plurality of pieces of preliminary color data; 
 removing an error of detail images from which the smooth images are removed, from each of the plurality of pieces of preliminary color data; and 
 adding the smooth images to the detail images from which an error is removed. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The image processing apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the signal processor is further configured to sample the first image data as first through fourth phase data of an (n)×(n) matrix pattern to split the first image data into the plurality of pieces of phase data. 
     
     
       11. The image processing apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the signal processor is further configured to remove a signal having a repeated pattern from the detail images. 
     
     
       12. The image processing apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the signal processor is further configured to receive second image data of an (n)×(n) matrix pattern output from the image sensor to generate a plurality of pieces of second full color image data. 
     
     
       13. The image processing apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of pieces of first full color image data comprise red color data, green color data, and blue color data, and each of the red color data, the green color data, and the blue color data comprises data of a (2n)×(2n) matrix pattern. 
     
     
       14. An image processing method comprising:
 splitting image data into a plurality of pieces of phase data; 
 remosaic-processing each of the plurality of pieces of phase data to generate a plurality of pieces of color phase data; 
 merging the plurality of pieces of color phase data corresponding to a same color to generate a plurality of pieces of preliminary color data; and 
 compensating for the plurality of pieces of preliminary color data to generate a plurality of pieces of full color image data, 
 wherein the generating the plurality of pieces of full color image data comprises:
 splitting each of the plurality of pieces of preliminary color data into a smooth image and a detail image; 
 removing an error from the detail image; and 
 adding the detail image from which the error is removed, to the smooth image. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The image processing method of  claim 14 , wherein the generating the plurality of pieces of phase data comprises generating first phase data, second phase data, third phase data, and fourth phase data respectively having a size of ¼ of a size of the image data. 
     
     
       16. The image processing method of  claim 14 , wherein the removing the error comprises removing a signal having a repeated pattern from the detail image. 
     
     
       17. The image processing method of  claim 14 , wherein the image data has a tetra pattern.